finding the signal in an industry filled with noise
Marketing is just a fancy word for selling, so you may be surprised to learn that many car firms now spend more money on marketing than they do on engineering. Why, then, is the sales experience when buying a new car frequently so poor? Dealers, or car retailers, are the downside of cars. They are to cars what needles are to doctors, hangovers are to champagne and heart attacks are to sausages. source: 4Car’s Gavin Green
Contrary to what others might tell you the TSX’s suspension and tires are its Achilles heel, but you don’t have to resort to the Radio Flyer ride of an aftermarket kit or cough up $4330 for the A-spec package to get rid of some of the body roll and torque steer.
The best way to improve the TSX is to install the A-spec suspension, which – conrary to what your salesperson might believe – is sold separately (part number 08W60-SEC-200B). If the folks at your local dealership are anything like those at ours, you may need to show them this. Don’t be intimidated by the retail price; you’ll find it for around $600 if you’re willing to mail order…
But the noisy, slippery, twitchy Original Equipment tires should be first to go; I suggest the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, $146 plus shipping and installation through this vendor.
It’s rare that we see something worth mentioning in Road & Track, but in the Jan. ‘06 issue MacLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray has contributed.
We found this checklist uncannily similar to our own:
I have a “real world” checklist when designing road cars: 1) size or perceived size; is the car intimidating to drive? 2) ergonomics; primary and secondary controls, pedals; 3) luggage capacity, cabin storage; 4) drivability, slow traffic engine characteristics, overtaking; 5) ride and handling; 6) ease of parking. A road car shold be designed with a checkmark against all six.
UPDATE
We saw another truth Gordon (and I) hold to be self evident in this month’s issue of Top Gear:
the weight and weight distribution… affects everything dynamically – acceleration, braking, cornering, steering, ride.
(An engine placed as close to the car’s center as possible does wonders for all of the above).
UPDATE 2
...I’ve learned that figures are not always everything – and that I, along with most motoring journalists and a large proportion of the car-buying public, have been misled by numbers… Our car culture has taught us to venerate 0-60 times and maximum speed figures. Some of us have even bought cars on the strength of them. In the real world, these numbers can be misleading at best and sometimes they can be totally inconsequential… maybe it’s time that journalists and road testers started measuring and emphasising characteristcs and numbers that reflect more accurately the performance of a car in a real-life situation. source: evo, Jan. ‘06
We’ve written at length about our experience with the JCW kit for the Mini Cooper S.
Today we came across this excerpt on MotoringFile:
some of the car’s charm is sadly lost in the process. While the base model is almost too easy to chuck around on its 16-inch tires, the Works model needs more lock to change direction and consequently feels like a larger and less wieldy machine. Nor does the chassis communicate with as much accuracy as the base model, leaving the driver a bit more removed from the driving experience. Sure, the JCW Cooper S is undoubtedly a quicker and more capable MINI, but we’re not sure it’s any more fun to drive. source: Bimmer
We continue to feel the engine kit adds to the car’s charm while wheels larger than 16” in size detract from it…
We dare you not to laugh at this pic by automobile’s Alex P…
seen in autocar’s newsletter… (author unknown)
“For those of you for whom it won’t have registered, the Audi A2 is now out of production. I see this as an occasion to mourn the end of an era when VAG was willing to take a risk on a car because the basic principle was so ‘right’. I appreciate that some of you will not care and have no time for such a car, but at a time when cars get heavier, luxury means bulk and function too often fails to be combined with form I still find the A2 a beautiful product. R.I.P. little tank. Your memories and devoted followers will continue to enjoy the many pleasures you continue to bring. This will undoubtedly be my last Audi, and may well be the last car I purchase for a long, long time… It’s smart; not Smart.
The Lexus IS 350 is generating a lot of buzz these days, as does any car that sports an absurd amount of power. No magazine has tested a IS250 yet – apparently Lexus prefers to show off the 350’s class leading power and torque. The IS350 is a bit of a one trick pony, however – journalists love the adrenaline rush a 5 second to 60 time provides but as with many of today’s Nissans the engine overwhelms the rest of the car.
In this piece, one of the few automotive critics who’s at all critical explains further. Here’s an excerpt:
The erstwhile sports sedan bumped and jiggled over surface imperfections like a tied-down tunermobile. It rolled through directional transitions like a luxobarge, helming with unacceptable imprecision and unwelcome lean. While the powerplant provided more than enough shove for the work at hand, the IS 350’s dynamics drew a definitive line between “doable†and “enjoyable.”... The IS 350 is only slightly less hard-riding than a Skyline GT-R—with none of the corresponding car control. Woe betides any hard-charging enthusiast who finds an expansion joint or a big old bump in a tight corner; the little Lexus will hop, skip and jump like a colt struggling to get out of a horsebox… I pity the poor bastard who bought an IS 350 thinking he could cruise through an urban landscape without an overly-intimate exploration of the concrete topography. In short, the IS 350 is a bad BMW, rather than a great Lexus.
(We’d like to point out that the car doesn’t ride as poorly on the standard 17” wheels but then again that car feels even more like trying to aim a firehose while standing in rollerskates. The IS250- like BMWs of yore – has more chassis and brakes than engine, less impressive on the test drive but far more compelling as an ownership proposition. The IS350 is more like too many modern BMWs: more motor than the chassis and brakes can handle).
Skeptical that the IS250’s engine is powerful enough? Consider that one of the best sport/uxury sedans ever created – the W124 Mercedes benz E-class had 177 horsepower. (It also handled with uncanny precison despite 195mm wide, 15 inch tires, recirculating ball steering, and twice the suspension travel of most cars today…)
If there’s one bit of advice everyone can benefit from it’s to avoid any place where you can hear the sound of air guns being used.
Why?
Because these guns often scratch alloy wheels and overtorque lug nuts, particularly in places that service more than one make or type of car (SUVs or large cars require far more torque than your average family sedan). Overtorquing can instantaneously warp brake rotors and cause damage to wheel bearings and hubs.
Lucky for shops it’s difficult to prove that your pulsing brakes or rumbling bearings were caused by their negligence so they stand to make more money when you come back complaining. The only way to protect yourself is to insist an air gun never be let within 5 feet of your car. If a technician isn’t willing to take an extra 60 seconds to use a torque wrench instead, they don’t deserve your business.
(It doesn’t hurt to find out your car’s lug torque specification and ask for it each time you hand over the keys).
The new Passat’s crash test results are in…
I come from a family of automotive hypochondriacs. Perhaps it’s my influence but the smallest squeak or vibration has my mother or sister scheduling an appointment. (This is great when the car’s under warranty – their cars are better sorted out after 50,000 miles than the day they leave the factory).
But there is one thing both of them are far too sensitive to: the dreaded check engine light.
The check engine light is tied into the car’s emissions control system. It simply means the car isn’t running as intended and therefore may be polluting more than it was meant to. If you don’ t feel or hear anything unusual it is unlikely driving the car with the check engine light illuminated will cause any harm. (The lightning bolt on the warning lamp means the issue is with an electrical sensor, not that your engine will soon explode). You may notice a drop in performance or fuel economy, however.
As a general rule, warning lamps that light up in yellow are gentle reminders whereas any light that lights up in red – e.g. the oil light – requires immediate attention.
